Stewart Island creates history hosting start of cycling tour 11 Mar 2015
Related articles
- Niki Roderick Extends Depth To New Zealand Record Sport
- NZ More Interested in All Whites than All Blacks Sport
- Australia Jumping on the Boy Bandwagon Living
- All Whites claim historic point Sport
- Minister launches SmartGate in Wellington Travel
- Prime Minister to travel to South Africa News
- Brownlee Leads Aviation Mission To Shanghai News
- Trams to make a comeback on Auckland’s streets News
- Snow on The Remarkables Living
- Team Selected for Ultimate Ride Jet-ski Sport
11 March 2015
Stewart Island will create history when it hosts the opening 20 kilometre stage of the Tour of New Zealand on Friday the 10th of April.
It will be the first ever competitive cycle race held on the island which Tour Director Peter Yarrell says makes a unique event even more special.
“We’ve been really encouraged by the support shown from the locals on Stewart Island,” he said. A group of local Stewart Island riders will welcome riders from the Tour of New Zealand who will ride the 20 kilometre opening stage on the islands sealed roads around the township of Oban.
The main tour begins the following day simultaneously at Cape Reinga or Bluff finishing about 700 kilometres or eight days later at the Beehive in Wellington. Teams or individuals choose to begin at the top of the North Island or at the bottom of the South Island.
The island is renowned as an adventure playground for bird watchers, hikers, fishing-hunting and nature lovers, but cycling is not normally something associated with Stewart Island.
Yarrell says the locals can enjoy a ‘Tour de France’ moment, a first for the 400 full time residents. Though sparsely populated in human terms, birds outnumber humans many times over, including an estimated 20,000 iconic brown kiwis on the island.
“Although riders on the South Island course will ride through the most scenic roads the South Island has to offer, the beauty and presence of Stewart Island just couldn’t be ignored,” he says.
Sitting within the Southland region, Stewart Island is just a 20 minute flight or 60 minute ferry ride south of the mainland, is the third largest island in the country (after the North and South islands.
Locals are excited to be hosting the South Island start to a national event with Stewart Island Promotion Association Promotions Officer Jo Learmonth saying its will also provide some good exposure for the area.
“Stewart Island is an outdoor adventure wonderland and so we are all excited about the opportunity to show case the diversity of our unique place and be involved in such a great charitable and fun event,” she said.
As the start gun fires in Stewart island, 1500 kilometres to the North at Cape Reinga, the tip of the North Island, competitors riding the Northern Island course of the Tour will be preparing for their 8 day cycling adventure.
Upon reaching New Zealand’s capital city Wellington on the final day of the tour, the Southern riders will meet Northern riders for a show down criterium race in the grounds of the New Zealand Parliament.
Held for the first time in 2012 this year’s third tour will host 70 riders from eight countries who will join 250 New Zealand riders taking part.
Ends
The Tour of New Zealand; 11 - 18 April 2015
After taking a hiatus in 2014, the Tour of New Zealand is back on course for 2015. This epic multi-day road race is an 8-day amateur event that showcases the best cycling and scenery New Zealand has to offer. Riders of the tour can choose to ride the length of either the North Island or the South Island of New Zealand. The North and South tours run at the same time, covering around 100km per day for eight days. The final day sees all competitors meet in New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington, for a head-to-head criterium in the grounds of Parliament to decide the winners for each category.
• For tour information including a full description of the stages visit www.tourofnewzealand.co.nz
• For more info about individuals and teams see http://www.tourofnewzealand.co.nz/rb.php
• Routes and daily stages see http://www.tourofnewzealand.co.nz/routes-and-daily-stages.php
• Follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TourofNZ
News
Hilary Timmins' Award-Winning UK Documentary Series To Inspire NZ Students
29 Jun 2020 Education
Dream Catchers, produced and directed by Hilary Timmins, celebrates the success stories of more than thirty inspirational New... more
New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process
7 Mar 2020 News
Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to... more
Business
NZ Government's Economic package to fight COVID-19
17 Mar 2020 Business News
The Coalition Government has launched the most significant peace-time economic plan in modern New Zealand history to cushion the... more
NZ Government announces aviation relief package
19 Mar 2020 Business News
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier... more
Living
Diversity was Key at New Zealand Trade Tasting in London
6 Jun 2022 Food & Wine
New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Trade Tasting was recently held in London, on Wednesday 4 May, in Lindley Hall.
It was the first... more
Kiwi author stuns Behind the Butterfly Gate
12 Jan 2022 Arts
Hidden behind the Butterfly Gate is where the secret has been kept for 76 years...
New Zealand writer Merryn Corcoran’s... more
Property
Fairer rules for tenants and landlords
17 Nov 2019 Property
17 NOVEMBER 2019
The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer... more
New Zealand Government will not implement a Capital Gains Tax
17 Apr 2019 Property
The Coalition Government will not proceed with the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax, Jacinda Ardern... more
Migration
Boosting border security with electronic travel authority – now over 500,000 issued
19 Nov 2019 Migration
19 NOVEMBER 2019
We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to... more
Christchurch reinstated as refugee settlement location
18 Aug 2018 Migration
18 AUGUST 2018
HON IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY
The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees... more
Travel
Gallipoli Anzac Day services cancelled
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
The New Zealand and Australian Governments have announced this year’s joint Anzac Day services at Gallipoli will be cancelled... more
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
more
Sport
The Skipper's Diary: Sir Richard Hadlee honouring his father and NZ's Forty-Niners
27 Oct 2019 Cricket
NZNewsUK London Editor Charlotte Everett spoke to Sir Richard Hadlee about why he’s chosen to publish his father’s... more
PREVIEW: All Blacks v England semi-final
26 Oct 2019 Rugby
The two most convincing quarterfinals winners are set to square off in a semifinal showdown for the ages when the All Blacks meet old... more
Columns
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
11 Nov 2016 Opinion
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
First published on Werewolf
The ghastly likes of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert ... more
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
10 Nov 2016 Opinion
Column - Gordon Campbell
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
Well um.. on the bright side, there (probably)... more
Kiwi Success
Congratulations to Loder Cup winner
26 Sep 2018 People
25 SEPTEMBER 2018
The Loder Cup, one of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, has been awarded to Robert McGowan for 2018... more
Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
16 Aug 2018 Appointments
16 AUGUST 2018Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
HON JENNY SALESA
Associate Education Minister Jenny Salesa is... more
Recruitment
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
14 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
22 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more